Suicide by pills may be cheaper than by train

An, er, interesting quote from an article about the Yamanote line in the Japan Times:

Yamanote Line traffic usually flows like water. But with so many trains hauling so many people about, it is inevitable that some occasional logistic snafus occur.

None is more unwelcome than the chaos that ensues when someone ends it all by jumping in front of an oncoming train. Last year there were 18 so-called jinshin jiko (human accidents), JR East spokesman Koichi Ueno said in an assertion which may surprise many regular users, for whom announcements of jinshin jiko delays seem far more frequent. According to officials, most jinshin jiko are suicides.

When a passenger jumps, the driver immediately stops the train, confirms the condition of the victim, checks for any damage to train machinery (brakes are particularly susceptible to impact) and communicates all findings to both the control center and his partner minding the back of the train.

Suicide delays generally last about 30 minutes, but can go much longer. JR East bills families of suicide jumpers for damages, with the requested amount commensurate with how many train lines are affected and for how long, said Shunichi Sekiguchi, another spokesman. Officials adamantly refused to discuss exact figures or the company's rationale for the policy.